Man, that’s a good looking saw! One concern I have about your setup is you need to have a vacuum port on the top end also. Not necessarily to keep the top clean but to capture as much of the airborne dust as possible.
Try stack cutting! I never cut 1/8” wood by its self. I always stack another layer of wood or plywood. It gives you more control. Use scraps to build up the thickness. Either use masking tape or what I do is use a hot glue gun to tack the edges together. This is a good way to get multiple copies too!
Yes, that would be good but most of us are not metal workers. I don’t have a piece of flat steel laying around. I will stick with a wood block. It’s lasted years now so I don’t see a need for metal.
Welcome to the Village Todd! Looks like you have jumped right into scrolling. The projects you have done are all excellent. I’m looking forward to watching your progress!
I would have to have boxes and boxes full of templates if I did it that way. Not to mention the time it would take to make a template before cutting the project.